Refreshing Cocktail of Philosophies, Ideas and Projects that rethink Architecture

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The WikiHouse

Open source is potentially the most philanthropic endeavor man has ever gone out to undertake. The sharing of informative, potentially life-changing information and knowledge for absolutely nothing. There is no better time for more open source development than right now with internet and global communication more readily available than ever.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to help out with such an open source project. The construction of the first WikiHouse Project in New Zealand. As some might recall, Christchurch one of our biggest cities was hit with an earthquake about a month before the tsunami earthquake in Japan of 2011. As kiwis are far too laid back and slow at making decisions than the Japanese, not much of the rebuild has actually been undertaken let alone completed..

WikiHouse is an open source site that visualizes a world where users can design and print essentially a self built house and share it with the rest of the world. No longer would architecture be a luxury item that professionals design for affluent clients to satisfy their ego. WikiHouse will be basic shapes can be tweaked, modified before being translated into a series of 3D jigsaw pieces that are CNC cut and then connected to create the frame like a 1:1 model.

And can be constructed with basic tools and skills…

The biggest question is how such building can be established within the building code in most western countries with strict building regulations, but let’s not worry about that and see how much of a god given gift this is for poverty struck areas and the other 90%.

Regardless, the WikiHouse Project is creating quite a stir across the world. With the potential to completely change the housing market and the face of urban development, this is definitely space to look out for.